The connection of Joseph of Arimathea with the Grail legend dates from Robert de Boron's Joseph d'Arimathie. In the story, Joseph receives the Grail from an apparition of Jesus Christ, and sends it with his followers to Great Britain; building upon this theme, later writers told how Joseph used the Grail to catch Christ's blood while burying him and that in Britain he founded a line of guardians to keep it safe.